When it was finalized that the Boston Celtics would take on the Brooklyn Nets in round one, there was a bit of uneasiness from C’s fans.
A little over a week later, and the shamrocks are on the verge of sweeping Brooklyn and being at full strength.
Game 3 continued to tell a similar story as the first two games of this intriguing series. First and foremost, Ime Udoka is a phenomenal coach.
The first-year head man has continued to coach laps around Steve Nash and looks like a genius with his in-game adjustments.
The other main story of this series has been how stellar the Celtics’s defense has been. It seems to be the general consensus among the NBA analysts that this is the worst series Kevin Durant has played in his entire career.
After a career-low 0-for-10 shooting in the second half of Game 2, KD continued to struggle in Game 3. The former MVP posted just sixteen points while only attempting eleven field goals. He also committed five turnovers.
Not only has Durant struggled all series, but he has looked like the inferior player to Jayson Tatum.
With his 39-point performance on Saturday night, JT now has two 31-plus point games in this series. In addition to his high scoring output, the former number three overall pick recorded six steals in Game 3.
Tatum’s play on both ends of the floor continues to impress throughout the basketball world. With a sweep on the horizon, it will be important for the perennial All-Star to maintain his defensive dominance, in addition to his stellar offense.
Tatum had plenty of help in the Game 3 victory, as Jaylen Brown posted 23 points for the second time in the series, on a highly` efficient 9-for-16 shooting. Marcus Smart chipped in with 14 points and Payton Pritchard led the bench unit with 10.
Al Horford was quiet statistically but his impact on both ends was still felt. Big Al came up clutch for Boston with a huge 3-pointer down the stretch.
Heading into Monday night’s game, Horford should rebound offensively and put up some better numbers. Despite the low statistical output, the former All-Star was still a +3.
Marcus Smart was the only Celtic with a negative plus-minus, although that’s not truly indicative of how he played.
At the time of this writing, no Boston Celtics players are listed on the injury report. Robert Williams III made his shocking, ahead of schedule return during Game 3, playing fifteen minutes.
We could see a slight increase in minutes in Game 4, but expect Boston to remain cautious with Time Lord.
After it was expected that Ben Simmons would make his season debut for Game 4, plans have changed. Simmons has been ruled out for Monday’s contest as his back continues to bother him.
Joe Harris also remains out with an ankle injury.
At the time of this writing, the C’s are +1 point underdogs and -105 on the Moneyline. The public bet is nearly 53 percent in favor of the Celtics winning (Cesar’s Sports Book).
In order for the C’s to pull off the surprising sweep of Brooklyn, they must hone in on these 3 keys to victory:
Boston Celtics key to victory No.1) Win the turnover battle
The Celtics have played high-energy defense all season long, forcing teams to turn the ball over at a high rate. Their offense is also polished enough that they are winning the turnover battle nearly every night.
Turnovers by game:
Game 1: Nets 16, Celtics 14
Game 2: Nets 14, Celtics 14
Game 3: Nets 18, Celtics 14
The shamrocks average 13.6 turnovers per game this season, so they are just about at their average. This number was 13th in the NBA, so it is very important for Boston to be above average in forcing turnovers.
KD and Kyrie are going to make tough shots, that is a given. It is important to not let that dictate the game, but to let the C’s defensive dominance lead to turnovers and continue to win the battle as they have done all series long.